University of Southern Denmark

Overview:
The University of Southern Denmark welcomed the first students onto the campus in Odense in September 1966, and things have been developing by leaps and bounds ever since. SDU now have five faculties with more than 32,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad, and more than 4,000 employees distributed across our main campus in Odense and regional campuses in Slagelse, Kolding, Esbjerg and Sønderborg.
SDU conducts world-class research and are one of the top fifty young universities in the world. Every day more than 2,000 researchers and 32,000 students build on the university’s reputation as a centre of academic excellence.
Research:
The University of Southern Denmark consists of five faculties:
<ul>
<li>Faculty of Engineering</li>
<li>Faculty of Health Sciences</li>
<li>Faculty of Science</li>
<li>Faculty of Business and Social Sciences</li>
<li>Faculty of Humanities</li>
</ul>
Every faculty consists of several departments, where the departments have a noticeable academic and economic independence and responsibility. Together departments and centres cover a wide range of research fields and educational opportunities.
Industry Partnerships:
SDU works purposefully to create dialogue between the university’s researchers and the surrounding society. To promote and make communication and knowledge exchange visible, faculties cooperate with various external parties. These activities are organised in centres. The centres serve to promote special purposes in research, education or knowledge exchange.
SDU RIO (SDU Research &amp; Innovation Organisation) supports collaboration between research, education, the business community and the public sector.

<h1 id="background">Background</h1>
Large unmet medical needs exist in the retinal eye diseases; neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)/Macular Edema (DME). Today patients are treated with anti‑VEGF standard‑of‑care. However, a large part of the patients (10% for nAMD and 50% for DME) respond poorly or are non‑responders to standard‑of‑care. Of more concern, most patients meet end‑stage scarring/fibrosis and most patients are still facing a high intravitreal dosing frequency. Thus, a new therapy is on demand impacting a new target/pathway and that is acting anti‑fibrotic and has a long duration of efficacy.
No approved medical treatment exists for liver/kidney/intestinal fibrosis which causes organ failure. NASH, secondary to obesity, has a prevalence of 5–20% but may occur more frequently in people who are obese or diabetic. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) accounts for 1.2 million deaths each year worldwide. The prevalence of Crohn’s disease is more than 300/100.000 individuals and fibrosis affecting the outcome of intestinal anastomosis happens in more than 80% of surgeries. 
Development of novel therapy against fibrosis is needed!
<h1 id="technology-overview">Technology Overview</h1>
Researchers from University of Southern Denmark (SDU) have identified a novel target; namely microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/Sqrhk2k3Ru27LfXSgdL7_mfap1.PNG" alt="Figure 1" />). MFAP4, is fixed in the extracellular matrix and is permissive for integrin-dependent activation of inflammatory and vascular cells, causing inflammation and vascular growth. Furthermore, MFAP4 is associated to fibrotic deposition and is an inducer of fibrosis.
SDU have produced and humanized a new antibody targeting MFAP4 (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/lK4k3d7iQA6xjfxti2OI_mfap1.PNG" alt="Figure 1" />) that are in development for retinal eye diseases and against pathologically fibrosis related to the liver, kidney and intestinal anastomosis. Pre-clinical PoC have been established in rodents, rabbit, and non-human primate models of nAMD and DME (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/Cu7PuXdNSwetB6aSuiSi_mfap2.PNG" alt="Figure 2" />). Furthermore, anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of the antibody has also been provided in animal models (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/p6UyABNuR3CoD4gNvN6W_mfap3.PNG" alt="Figure 3" />). For liver fibrosis, we have a theragnostic approach (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/GJeZpLYcRgmHTfloJEop_mfap4.PNG" alt="Figure 4" />) where clinical data supported the diagnostic capacity of serum MFAP4 as a liver fibrosis marker (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/NEetLOTuRE6LYQjDkznc_mfap5.PNG" alt="Figure 5" />). In vivo data support the antibody’s ability to reduce liver fibrosis (<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/technologies/figures/6Jg0njISdyIc8nWMo6su_mfap6.PNG" alt="Figure 6" />).
<h3 id="-stage-of-development-">Stage of Development</h3>
All 4 programs have Proof‑of‑Concept for efficacy. The antibody is ready for cell bank production before TOX for the eye program.
<h1 id="benefits">Benefits</h1>
Anti‑MFAP4 acts anti‑fibrotic, anti‑inflammatory and has a long duration of efficacy. This performance makes the new potential therapeutics suitable for treatment of nAMD, DME/DR and also potentially other pathologically conditions caused by tissue fibrosis.
<h1 id="applications">Applications</h1>
Potential uses includes retinal diseases related to neo‑vascularisation and fibrotic deposition/scarring and also other pathogenic tissue fibrosis such as in the liver, kidney and intestinal anastomosis.
<h1 id="opportunity">Opportunity</h1>
SDU are looking for partnering for co‑development or out‑licensing. We are also interested in spin‑out formation and thus in investment and engagement, to develop the programs towards clinical trial 1 results in patients.

Figure 1

Figure 2